Georgian neuroscience: a brief history

  

The establishment of a tradition in neuroscience research in Georgia is associated with one of the outstanding scientist of the 20th century Ivane Beritshvili (Beritoff) who after graduating from St.- Petersburg University (1906-1910), worked in laboratories N. Wedensky (St Petersburg), A.Samoilov (Kazan) and R. Magnus (Utrecht). In 1919 Beritashvili returned to Tiflis and set up Department of Physiology at the University. At the same time he published the first student manual of physiology in Georgian and Russian languages (1920-1922) and then published the first handbook of Nervous and Muscle Physiology in the Soviet Union (1937). Later he organized the Institute of Physiology (1935) and founded the Georgian Society of Physiologists, Pharmacologists and Biochemists (1939). The Institute soon became a leading center for neuroscience research in the Soviet Union and abroad. In 1941 the Institute of Physiology joined the Georgian Academy of Sciences.

Ivane Beritashvili (1884-1974),        Founder of the Beritashvili            Institute of Physiology

 At present the most important and largest unit of neuroscience is Beritashvili Institute of Physiology, which has 19 research laboratories carry on such topics as the neurobiology of sleep (T.Oniani, M.Mgaloblishvili), hemispheric interaction (V.Mosidze+ , M.Makashvili), animal behavior (M.Khananashvili, Ts.Orjonikidze), brain blood flow and microcirculation (G.Mchedlishvili), the neurophysiology of pain and analgesia (S.Butkhuzi, E.Abzianidze, M.Tsagareli), neuroendocrinology (E.Moniava), physiology of cerebellum (G.Bekaia), brain metabolism (N.Mitagvaria, L.Nikolaishvili), membrane studies (Z.Kometiani, L.Tsakadze), physiology of vision (A.Kezeli), neurochemistry (D.Mikeladze), physiolgy of emotion (A.Koreli, M.Koridze), psychophysiology (V.Maloletnev), brain ultrastructure (I.Lazriev, M.Zhvania), physiology of memory (T.Naneishvili), neuromorphology (I.Svanidze), physiology of nerve cell (T.Labakhua), reticulo-thalamo-cortical relations (Z.Nanobashvili), physiology of cortex (R.Kashakashvili), and five research groups working on electrophysiology of limbic structures (L.Kvirkvelia), biochemical neuropharmacology (R.Solomonia), anatomy of nerve bindings (N.Totibadze), molecular genetics of behavior (F.Kalandarishvili) and biophysics of blood circulation (V.Mamisashvili).

 The other large Georgian centers of neuroscience are Sarajishvili Institute of Neurology (R.Shakarishvili, V.Gabashvili, T.Geladze, Sh.Bibileishvili, M.Janelidze), the Dept of Human and Animal Physiology (T.Ioseliani, T.Natishvili, L.Glonti) and Neurobiology research laboratory (V.Okujava, S.Tsagareli) of Javakhishvili State University of Tbilisi, State Medical Academy of Tbilisi (S.Khechinashvili, Z.Kevanishvili, Ts.Chkhikvishvili, Y.Malashkhia), Asatiani Institute of Psychiatry (G.Naneishvili, Z.Zurabashvili, Sh.Gamkrelidze, M.Tsagareli), and recently organized Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics (T.Zaalishvili).

Over the years a number of international symposia and conferences were regularly held in Georgia, among them the Gagra Conferences, which later became well known as the "Gagra Talks", where between 1942 and 1972, under the leadership of Beritashvili and auspices of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, six conferences were held in the neurobehavioral sciences, with participants drawn chiefly from the Soviet Union and several excellent worldwide scientists. The conferences took place in Gagra, one of the most beautiful resorts on the Black Sea. The unique leadership of Beritashvili provided younger scientists with the opportunity to present papers and meet the senior scientists in their fields.

Symposia and conferences have covered such areas as pathophysiological mechanisms of brain edema (1982), biology of brain states (1986) and cerebral blood circulation (1988 -G.Mchedlishvili), functions of neuroglia (1984-A.Roitback), the neurophysiology of epilepsy (1978,1983-V.Okujava) and the neurobiology of sleep-wakefulness cycle (1987- T.Oniani) under the auspices and partial financial support of IBRO.

The first Neuroscience Forum in Berlin in June 1998 was a significant event for founding the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). The landmark event of this meeting was the signing of the FENS convention, of which Georgian Neuroscience Association is a founding member among thirty National and European Neuroscience Societies.

 Bibliography:

Burchuladze R. Neuroscience in the Repulic of Georgia. TINS, 1991,14,4:131-132.
Marshall L.H. The Antecedent Ground Swell. In: Early History of IBRO: the Birth of Organized Neuroscience. Neuroscience, 1996,72,1:283-286.
Mosidze V. M. The I.Beritashvili Institute of Physiology, Tbilisi, Georgia: 60 Years of Neuroscience. IBRO NEWS, 1997,25,3:4-5.
Tsagareli M.G. New Georgian Neuroscince Association Becomes Corporate Member of IBRO. IBRO NEWS, 1997,25,1:1&8.

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